Village Waste Management

Lake Louise waste transfer station © Parks Canada/Jenny Klafki

All communities must deal with the garbage they generate. Park communities such as Field, Lake Louise, and Banff are no exception. Collectively, park residences and commercial establishments such as restaurants and hotels generate huge volumes of garbage and food waste in the middle of bear habitat. Bear-proof management of this garbage is essential for the safety of people and the protection of bears and other wildlife. Without it, we cannot meet our mandate to protect ecological integrity.

Since 1981, garbage management in the mountain national parks has become standardized and consistent. Solid Waste Management in Yoho, Kootenay and Banff National Parks is a major operational program that has both short and long term operational requirements.

Residential bear proof garbage bin in Banff townsite © Parks Canada/BNP

A number of points are key to ensure bear-proof garbage in the national parks:

• Park staff, residents, business operators and visitors that know how vital it is to bear-proof garbage, and actively support this legal requirement in national parks.
• The use of bear-proof garbage bins and containers: strong enough to thwart the most determined grizzly bear with an opening mechanism that outwits the smartest bear, but not a human! The bins close and lock by gravity. Haul-All Equipment produces the majority of bear-proof garbage bins in the mountain national parks
• Maintenance of the bins to ensure they remain bear-proof over time.
• Sound operational practices such as regularly scheduled garbage collection and a secure transfer station where the collected garbage is stored until it is shipped out of the park to regional landfill sites.

Examples of 16 inch Mountain Park Garbage Bin Stickers © Parks Canada

Examples of 16 inch Mountain Park Garbage Bin Stickers © Parks Canada

In Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, 463 garbage bins must be maintained and emptied on a regular basis in campgrounds, the Field and Lake Louise Townsites, and day use areas when they are in use. Depending on location, their sizes vary from 0.33, 0.66, 1, 2, 3, 4 to 6 cubic yards. This does not include recycling bins. Several large business operators haul their own garbage to the transfer stations. The Town of Banff manages its own waste management program.

Cardboard recycling © Parks Canada/Jenny Klafki

Efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle go a long way to cut down on the amount of garbage generated. This helps reduce the consumption of valuable resources and the need for valuable land to be converted to landfills.

Bear proof garbage management requires ongoing vigilance and education, as well as a professionally operated waste management program. The most effective way we can help protect both bears and people is to never allow any garbage or human food to be accessible to bears.